Now that our Thanksgiving feasts have digested, it’s time to get straight into the holiday swing! This week, we begin to feature the Christmas music that it seems everyone is yearning for lately.
The Goo Goo Dolls have released a very enjoyable new album, It’s Christmas All Over (Warner). You can hear their new track, “This is Christmas” which has that GGD vibe that you know and love. In 1994, the great blues pianist, Charles Brown released Cool Christmas Blues (Craft Recordings) which was nominated for a Grammy, it is just now seeing its first vinyl reissue! Brown was involved with two classic Christmas tunes during his career (“Merry Christmas Baby” and “Please Come Home For Christmas”), you’ll have to tune in to hear which one we play this week. Popular pop princess, Meghan Trainor also comes by to drop some presents under the tree as we explore her latest release, A Very Trainor Christmas (Epic).
This week, we also celebrate many 50th anniversary reissues released in 2020 (that’s 1970 for those of you playing at home). You’ll hear what Jim Morrison really wants for Christmas from the recently reissued Morrison Hotel (Rhino) release and we pick a track from the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty (Rhino) reissue and remaster. Ray Barretto’s Barretto Power (Fania/Craft Latino) salsa classic is also 50 years old this year and it’s been reissued as an all-analog vinyl pressing—let’s take that one out for a spin as well, shall we?
Of course, we wade through other usual eclectic fare: Sturgill Simpson’s new bluegrass release Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1, Sharon Jones’ recent compilation of covers, Just Dropped in to See What Condition my Rendition Was in, and AC/DC’s hotly anticipated new Power Up album. There’s more, but you’ll have to tune in to hear it. Happy December!
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Sharp Notes each Saturday evening at 6pm and TVD Radar on Sundays at 5AM on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
